Part III, finally!

Posted: June 5, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

It was a short day, but we finally cleared the last of the LARGE trees from the Blackwood Canyon trails.

03-04 is clear from the Rubicon to Barker Pass. 16E76, the Hobbit Trail is clear from the Rubicon to 03-04. 16E79, the Red Cabin Trail (upper Hobbit) is clear from 03-04 to Barker Pass.

The Basin cleared and opened Middle Fork Trail on the 2nd. We drove it today and it was fine.

The paved road, Forest Road 03, is clear of trees but not debris from the summit to Lake Tahoe. Since it is a huge cycling route, the Basin should get a sweeper truck in there to clear the loose debris.

Now, when I say cleared, I mean a standard rig can pass. The trails are narrow in places, and many spots have a lot of debris on the trail. Drive slowly, be cautious. If you have time, stop and throw the debris off to the side.

This is how the day started…

Dragging is the quickest and safest method of clearing the trail. Once this was done, we cleared the pile in the upper right corner of the picture.

Again, passable but not polished.

We were out on the trail for probably two hours clearing the last of 16E79. This was in the middle of clearing this section.

This was the last of the piles.

This is where we turned around on Sunday. There is quite a bit of snow left but very passable.

We didn’t touch this one. There is a large snag hanging over 16E79. I have notified the Tahoe National Forest. Hopefully, they will get on this one soon. It’s about a half mile down from 03-04.

Always be prepared to deal with trail issues. I always carry a large handsaw, just in case.

Turn Around, Don’t Go Around

If there is a tree across the trail or a boulder you can’t navigate, do not go off trail to get around it. Turn around and come back another day.

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Rubicon Ronin